Bouldering in Albarracin

Albarracin has the reputation as the best bouldering area in Spain. It is often described as the next best bouldering area in Europe behind Fontainebleau, and is very popular with Spanish climbers. Like Fontainebleau, Albarracin has many huge ancient sandstone blocks that are solid, well-weathered, with high friction, and situated in a forest.

The rock in Albarracin is a distinctive red sandstone, a little rougher than Fontainebleau's fine-grained white sandstone. The distinctive red sandstone produces smooth surfaces, which are broken up with small sharp crimps or with massive pockets and portholes.

There are a variety of problems to climb, from quality slabs, subtle forms of technical climbing, amazing arêtes, to overhanging walls on crimps and cracks, and an abundance of huge roofs, some with monster jugs.  There are over 2,300 problems at Albarracin spread across a wide range of grades from Fb 3 to Fb 8c, with the majority in the Fb 5 to Fb 7b range.

Just outside of Albarracin is another sandstone bouldering area called Bezas. The bouldering is located to the north of the town and extends mainly along the Panea Gorge. Currently there are 12 different sectors and over 630 problems with the scope for developing many more.

One of the main advantages of bouldering at Albarracin as opposed to other bouldering areas within Spain is the temperature. Albarracin is at an altitude of over 1,000m above sea level, making the air cool enough to climb throughout most of the year except high summer and is generally very dry.

The bouldering at Albarracin is situated in the protected area of Los Pinares de Rodeno. Climbers share this area with important archaeological sites and extensive flora, and it is prohibited from climbing in certain areas. There are 2 guidebooks for the bouldering at Albarracin, and both have extensive information about these restrictions.

Guidebooks - There are 2 different bouldering guidebooks for Albarracin.  The Boulder Albarracin guidebook details over 1,600 problems all of which are shown on colour photo topos. An alternative guidebook is the Albarracin and Bezas Bouldering Guidebook. This guidebook covers 33 different sectors and almost 3,000 bouldering problems at Albarracin and Bezas, all of which are shown on colour photo topos. Buy both of these bouldering guidebooks for Albarracin from our shop.

Getting there - Albarracin is located approximately 150km northwest of Valencia in the rural surrounds of Teruel, a mid-sized town 35km to the east of Albarracin. Cheap flights are available to either Valencia or Zaragoza, with Valencia being about a 2-hour drive away, and Zaragoza being about a 3-hour drive away. 

Accommodation - Albarracin is a popular tourist town and hence has a wide variety of accommodation to choose from. This ranges from campsites, guest houses and apartments.